Sorry, I’m Just Not Looking for a Serious Relationship

Boost Your PPC Conversions by Playing it Cool

“Sorry, I’m just not looking for a serious relationship. It’s not you, it’s me.”

Ouch, that stings. We’ve all heard that before. Let’s examine what might have went wrong with this (imaginary) relationship.

You set a date with her online. However, you failed to examine her profile, which clearly states in writing that she is “just looking for someone to have fun with.”

You proposed on the first date, with a violinist and everything.

You’re probably a pretty good catch. You had a lot of fun together, and things were going great, but in the end there was just a tad bit too much pressure. You’re not a bad guy. Seriously, it’s not you.

Thank you for going on that little journey with me. Now let’s talk about how it applies to marketing. This relationship failed because the parties involved had mismatched expectations. When a visitor comes to your real estate website via paid search, it is a lot like a first date. She told you she was interested, she agreed to give you a small amount of her time, and of course you picked up the tab.

You both have expectations for this date.

She really hopes to look for homes for sale in Knoxville. You really hope to become her Realtor. You are a match made in heaven! This relationship is destined for a marriage, right?

Wrong.

Your expectations are actually very far apart. You just busted out the engagement ring on the first date. She just wants to have fun. Try again.

Wouldn’t it be great if your date would just tell you what she was looking for in writing? Good news… she just did. She just typed “Homes for Sale in Knoxville” into Google. So the only thing she really wants out of this experience is to explore homes for sale in Knoxville. She is not looking for a Realtor. If she was, she would have told you that by searching something like “Realtors in Knoxville.”

Of course she may be looking for a Realtor in the future, but we can’t wait until then. According to your Google analytics, she’s only likely to be around for the next four and a half minutes. If we want to take this relationship to the next level, we need to close the deal now. That means we have to align our lead capture mechanism with her present and immediate goal of looking for houses.

Let’s return for a second to our imaginary first date. You are in love and want to marry this girl. You don’t ask her to marry you, you ask for a second date. That is the only reasonable next step. Then, maybe over the course of a year she’ll decide she loves you too, because marriage is a pretty big commitment.

Buying a house is a pretty big commitment. Can you expect an internet stranger who has never met you to just sign up to make the biggest investment of their life with you? No. Just ask for a second date. Don’t pop the question.

If I Can’t Pop The Question, What Can I Say?

The question you should be asking is “Would you like to activate your account, so you can save and organize your searches?” You don’t even want your visitor thinking about the fact that there is a Realtor behind the scenes eager to talk to them. They just want to browse anonymously. Enable forced or suggested registration on your IDX property details pages.

Request a name, phone number, email address and nothing else. In fact, do not ask for a phone number unless you absolutely plan on calling. It is just another barrier.

You are probably interested in learning more information about your visitor, but can’t you do that through phone or email after they have already become a lead? Remember, it’s your first date. This is what your required registration questions really sound like to her.

Have you been pre-approved? How much do you make?
Do you already have a Realtor We’re boyfriend/girlfriend right?
If so, who? Is he more handsome than me?
When are you planning on buying? What should we name our kids?

Keep it casual, play it cool, don’t creep out your visitors on the first date, and you’ll foster more long term relationships.